RUSSIA AS A BLACK SEA POWER

The author highlights Russia's determination to exploit its advantages in the sphere of energy for increased global power and argues that the West needs to match this determination with clear support for countries like Ukraine and Georgia that are vulnerable. He points out that offering such countries clear prospects for membership in NATO and the EU would render Russia with no choice but to integrate with Europe. Without increased involvement of the EU in the Black Sea region, he warns, threats could grow to be intractable.